ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 64387
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| Date: | Saturday 3 March 1951 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth |
| Owner/operator: | Canterbury Aero Club |
| Registration: | ZK-AIM |
| MSN: | 83469 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Swannanoa, Canterbury -
 New Zealand
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | RNZAF Harewood, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth MSN 83469 (Gipsy Major #83598); Built at Morris Motors, Cowley, Oxford for the RAF as T5760 but shipped direct to New Zealand on the s.s. 'Rangitiki' 5.7.40. Taken on charge as NZ665 at Rongotai 7.10.40. To 4 EFTS Whenuapui 1941. To 2 EFTS Ashburton [1944]. To 42 Squadron [1945]. Sold 3.4.46 to Canterbury Aero Club. New Zealand civil registered as ZK-AIM 18.2.46 to Canterbury Aero Club, Christchurch. C of A issued 12.4.46. Crashed Harewood 21.1.48; repaired and returned to service
Written off in accident at Swannanoa 3.3.51 while taking part in a navigational competition, killing pilot Michael Phillips. According to a contemporary local newspaper report:
"SATURDAY 3 MARCH 1951
Canterbury Aero Club de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth ZK-AIM
Whilst engaged on a navigation exercise in connection with the Bledisloe Cup competition at the Royal New Zealand Aero Club’s annual air pageant, at Harewood, at 2.15 pm the biplane was seen by Raymund D. Catherwood flying low at about 80-100 feet when it suddenly dived into a grass paddock on his farm at Swannanoa, 22 miles from Christchurch. The solo pilot was seriously injured on being thrown about 40 feet clear upon impact and died the following day. Catherwood later stated that he thought the Tiger Moth’s engine had cut out as it went into the dive.
Phillips had begun flying with the Wellington Aero Club as an ATC cadet in January 1950 and later joined the club as a flying member. He obtained his Pilot’s ‘A’ Licence (3952) in August. An obituary note by the club remarked that as a very keen pilot he combined a natural flying ability with an earnest desire to learn the intricacies of airmanship with the result that he was chosen as our Bledisloe Cup representative.
Pilot Michael Vincent PHILLIPS, aged 19 (was buried at Karori Cemetery, Wellington)"
The crash location of Swannanoa is a small, originally farming village in the Waimakariri District, South Island, 22 miles (35 kilometres) northwest of Christchurch, New Zealand.
Sources:
1. http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewEntity.do?code=7333
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p834.html
3. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzdh82.htm
5. http://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKAIQ.htm
6. https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/29107/tiger-moth-fatal-accident-1951
7. http://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2014/01/fifty-years-or-so-ago.html
8. http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac2/NZAM/ZK-AIM.html
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swannanoa,_New_Zealand
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 22-Nov-2009 12:04 | angels one five | Updated |
| 26-May-2012 08:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 24-Jan-2014 08:47 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 19-Sep-2021 12:24 | Antonio | Updated [Source] |
| 01-Oct-2021 17:09 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 21-Jan-2022 20:19 | Ron Averes | Updated [Aircraft type, Location] |
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